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5:48 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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Today Boris has come out of the house on his own. He has mostly been huddled under a bush but when I put the macaroni out he rushed over and ate a few pieces. This evening I tried to get him to drink some water but he was unco operative. I took him down to the run and he pecked at the corn on the ground and ate some feed. I have just seen him at the water trough. I put out yogurt and after one of the girls had some he also had quite a bit. He is still very pale and sitting down a lot but I am amazed he is still with us. Remains to be seen if he survives another night. Picking him up regularly, I am sure he has not lost weight.
Will report again in the morning
Trying to enjoy life as it is
5:53 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 30-Jan-11
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Here's hoping he survives, Aly.
I'm amazed at the variety of foods chickens eat - I thought (being a former townie 
) that they just ate corn!
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
5:56 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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5:58 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Poor Boris, hope he does pick up for you Aly.
Oh chickens favourite food was pasta Sue!
6:02 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 30-Jan-11
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They clearly have a more varied diet than I do!! 
learning to love veg…..except celery :-O
6:06 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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JoannaS said:
Oh chickens favourite food was pasta Sue!
Good to know that, Joanna. it's fun to give them a treat now and again on top of the wild bird seed they get occasionally.
Hope Boris makes it, Aly. It's very upsetting and nobody who does not keep chooks will ever understand how attached you get to them.
Never knowingly underfed
6:06 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Oh bless him! I hope he continues to improve.
I'll try that again!
6:17 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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He is a lovely rooster who allows cuddles! He is big, about 2 foot tall and has beautiful feathers that are shades of ginger /orange. If it is kidney failure , which I suspect, there is nothing I can do.
Trying to enjoy life as it is
7:01 pm
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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Fingers crossed anyway.
I'll try that again!
7:14 pm
Supreme Being
Thu 24-Sep-09
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Aly, I have been thinking about him a lot today and hope he makes it. He sounds an absolute gem of a bird. It is so hard when all we can do is watch and wait. My chickens had pasta too this morning. I made a pasta bake last night and always cook too much pasta so they can have a treat. They love it. 
to you.
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
10:26 am
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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fingers still crossed for you Aly, but just a note on chicken treats, our get all sorts, they a free range which allows them to have plenty of exercise, but I spoil them with all sorts, any left over cooked veg, pasta, overripe fruit, home baking disasters, soggy biscuits, out of date stuff, cereal that Mike or Dave has left unsealed (and so has gone soft) etc
The only thing you have to be careful with, especially with processed food, is how much salt and sugar is in the items, so they get limited amounts of shop bought bread, ceral and biscuits.
10:40 am
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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Mine are also free range and I only ever give them stale baguettes that are shop made. He hasn't come out of the house yet but it is raining so I am leaving him in there. He is standing on the floor now so I guess the perch is not comfortable. The girls are going in to lay their eggs so it can't be bothering them. I check on him every hour but all seems much the same so far. He has no interest in food or water.
Trying to enjoy life as it is
10:46 am
Supreme Being
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Tue 22-Sep-09
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Over the winter I lost a couple of the new hampshires, same sort of thing as Boris, they became listless and uninterested in things, then began to huddle their head hunched, There was nothing I was able to do for them and I just had to hope they were'nt suffering. As I got them from a farm auction, I have no idea of their age or history and I put it down to old age. Never really inspected their poo, as we have a dozen hens, I'd of had to catch them in the act to work out who's poo was who's.
10:54 am
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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Same with Boris, I swapped him for a vegetarian cookery book, bizarre or what! He was full grown and although I was told he was a year old I had no way of telling. I saw him poo the other day which is what made me think it is kidney failure due to age. Very sad but part of life. I have a hen who struggles to walk and looks like a penguin when she stands, the others bully her so she has a fenced off section of the coop with her own house. She loves cuddles and I hand feed her pasta! She gives me an egg every day! I am really missing Boris crowing in the morning and his son Bubble crows less now too as he used to respond to his dad. I always hate losing one of my family but it goes with the territory I know.
Trying to enjoy life as it is
2:41 pm
Supreme Being
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Sun 2-Oct-11
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Boris came out this morning and ate a bit of pasta and corn and drank some water. When I next checked on him he was standing near to Saffy, my disabled hen. I offered him yogurt but he walked away. I left him to it for a while but when it started raining I picked him up and put him back in the house. Just checked again and he has put himself in a nest box. He looks very cosy and peaceful. The girls go in to lay eggs (5 today) but are leaving him in peace. I am amazed he has kept going so long.
Trying to enjoy life as it is
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